To check code enforcement case status in Florida, start with the case number or the property address and search your city’s or county’s online case portal. If there is no portal, check the code board or special magistrate agenda, then ask for the case file as a public record under section 119.07, Florida Statutes.
You filed the complaint, gave the local government your name and address as Florida law requires for most complaints under section 162.06 and section 162.21, and then heard nothing. The notice steps in section 162.06 are written for the person the statute calls the violator, and they say nothing about updating the person who reported, so finding out falls to you. A code case leaves paper behind, and under section 119.07, Florida Statutes, a custodian may withhold only the parts covered by a valid exemption and must produce the rest.
A code enforcement case is the file a local government opens when an inspector looks into a reported or observed violation, and it can include the notices sent to the violator, any hearing record and any order that follows.
The case number is the key to the whole file
Everything below goes faster with the case number the city or county assigned. Look for it in an email or letter from the code office, or in the portal you used to report. Without one, some systems also search by property address.
The format is local. In the City of Gainesville, the city’s code enforcement page says its code enforcement case numbers start with CE, then the two-digit year, then a five-digit number (cases entered in 2012 start with CE-12), and that “Searches can be done by Case Number or by Address” in its PermitGNV system.
Search the portal before you pick up the phone
Some Florida cities post case records online. The City of Sarasota runs a Citizen Connect Portal. Its code compliance page says “Once registered you can Check the Status of your report”, and that the portal lets anyone “Review Submitted Case Records current or historic by a variety of search criteria without signing in.”
| Where | How to look up a case | Source |
|---|---|---|
| City of Gainesville | PermitGNV: select Search for Project, then Cases; search by case number or by address | City of Gainesville |
| City of Sarasota | Citizen Connect Portal: registered users check the status of their report; case records are searchable without signing in | City of Sarasota |
| City of Casselberry | Special magistrate agendas and minutes posted online | City of Casselberry |
| City of Hialeah | Special magistrate agendas published in the city’s Agenda Center | City of Hialeah |
These are local tools, not state law. Portal names, search fields and what each record shows differ from one city to the next, and in unincorporated areas the county, not a city, usually handles the case. If you are not sure which government has your case, the guide to city or county jurisdiction sorts that out.
The hearing agenda tells you the case went somewhere
A portal entry tells you a case exists. A hearing agenda tells you it moved. Under section 162.03, Florida Statutes, each county or city “may, at its option, create or abolish” code enforcement boards, so not every place uses one. Where a city or county uses a Chapter 162 enforcement board or special magistrate, section 162.06 sets the path: the inspector notifies the violator and gives “a reasonable time to correct the violation”, and if it continues past that time, the inspector “shall notify an enforcement board and request a hearing.” The statute sets exceptions: for a repeat violation the inspector “is not required to give the violator a reasonable time to correct the violation”, and for a serious threat the inspector “may immediately notify the enforcement board and request a hearing.” The walk-through of what happens after a code complaint is filed covers those stages in order.
In those places, a case that reaches a hearing is heard in public. Section 162.03 says “A special magistrate shall have the same status as an enforcement board under this chapter”, and section 162.07 says “Minutes shall be kept of all hearings by each enforcement board, and all hearings and proceedings shall be open to the public.” The board hears “the cases on the agenda for that day”, and testimony is recorded.
Some cities publish those agendas online. The City of Casselberry holds special magistrate hearings at “6:30 p.m. Third Thursday of the month” and posts agendas and minutes. The City of Hialeah says its hearings “are held at least once a month” and that agendas go to the city’s Agenda Center. Hialeah says its special magistrate “is vested with the statutory authority outlined in Chapter 162 of the Florida Statutes”, and where a hearing runs under Chapter 162, section 162.07 makes it open to the public, so you can attend and listen. If your city’s page does not say which rules its hearings follow, ask the city clerk.
When the screen goes quiet, ask for the file
The next tool is Florida’s public-records law. Section 119.01, Florida Statutes, states the policy plainly: “It is the policy of this state that all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person.” A code case file is a municipal or county record, and section 119.07 sets the rules for getting it.
- Find the records contact. Ask the city or county code office, or the clerk, who handles public-records requests.
- Name what you want. Ask for the case file for your case number or address, including records such as inspection notes, photos, notices of violation, hearing notices and any orders.
- Put it in writing anyway. A 2003 informal opinion from the Florida Attorney General’s office says “Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, does not authorize an agency to require that requests for records be in writing.” An email still gives you a dated record of what you asked for.
- Expect a prompt acknowledgment. Under section 119.07, the custodian “must acknowledge requests to inspect or copy records promptly and respond to such requests in good faith.”
- Know the copy costs. Where no other fee is prescribed by law, section 119.07 allows up to 15 cents per one-sided copy of standard-size pages, and an agency may charge up to $1 for a certified copy. When a request needs extensive staff time or technology, the agency may add a special service charge, which “shall be reasonable” and is based on the cost actually incurred.
If the city withholds part of the file, the law makes it show its work. Section 119.07 says the custodian “shall redact that portion of the record to which an exemption has been asserted and validly applies” and produce the rest, must give the basis for the exemption “including the statutory citation”, and, if you ask, must state the reasons “in writing and with particularity.” Whether an exemption really applies to your file is a question for a licensed Florida attorney.
The last page of the file may be in the county records
A case that ends in an order can leave a trace outside city hall. Section 162.07 says a certified copy of the board’s order “may be recorded in the public records of the county”, and if a recorded order is complied with on time, the board “shall issue an order acknowledging compliance that shall be recorded in the public records.” The guide to code liens explains how to search those records.
A quiet portal is not a closed case. The file says what happened. Read it.
Where SNITCH fits in
SNITCH is a Florida administrative filing service that prepares and submits municipal code-enforcement complaints for its clients. You send the property address, photos and a short description of the violation, and SNITCH identifies the ordinance and files with the city or county office that has jurisdiction over the address. Clients get a confirmation number and can quote it to go@joesnitch.com when they ask about a filing.
SNITCH files under its own name and business address as the complainant of record, and your name and contact information do not appear on the complaint it submits. The complaint states that SNITCH filed it on behalf of a client. That reduces your exposure; it doesn’t erase it. How much protection you get depends on the municipality and on Florida’s public-records law, and records a local government keeps that link you to the report can still be disclosable. SNITCH complies with court orders and subpoenas, which can include disclosing the client’s name, and a property owner can sometimes work out who filed a single, specific complaint.
Some jurisdictions do not accept a complaint filed by an agent, and SNITCH does not file there. SNITCH declines submissions that appear to come from personal disputes, legal feuds, retaliation or harassment, and you are responsible for the truthfulness of what you send. SNITCH does not investigate violations, decide outcomes or promise that an agency will act, and it is not a law firm. The SB 60 page and the rights page explain what Florida’s complaint and public-records rules mean for the person who reports. You can file a code complaint through SNITCH.
FAQ
Will code enforcement tell me what happened with my complaint in Florida?
Do not count on a call. The enforcement procedure in section 162.06, Florida Statutes, directs notices to the violator and says nothing about updating the person who reported. Some cities let you check online: the City of Sarasota says registered users can “Check the Status of your report” in its Citizen Connect Portal. Otherwise, ask for the case file under section 119.07, Florida Statutes, which lets the custodian redact only the parts a valid exemption covers.
How do I look up a code enforcement case by address in Florida?
Use your city’s or county’s case portal if it has one, since some search by address as well as case number. Gainesville’s PermitGNV, for example, says “Searches can be done by Case Number or by Address.” If the address is in unincorporated territory, search the county’s system instead; the city or county guide shows how to tell.
Do I have to put a public records request in writing in Florida?
Generally not, according to the Florida Attorney General’s office. A 2003 informal opinion says Chapter 119 “does not authorize an agency to require that requests for records be in writing.” That opinion is informal advice, not a court ruling, and a written request is still useful because it shows what you asked for and when.
Can I attend a code enforcement hearing in Florida?
Yes, where the case goes to a Chapter 162 enforcement board or special magistrate. Section 162.07, Florida Statutes, says enforcement board hearings and proceedings “shall be open to the public”, and section 162.03 gives a special magistrate the same status as an enforcement board. Check your city’s agenda page for the date; Hialeah, whose special magistrate works under Chapter 162, holds hearings at least once a month and publishes its agendas.
Can the property owner see my name on a code complaint in Florida?
It can happen. For most complaints, sections 162.06 and 162.21, Florida Statutes, require the person who reports to give the local government a name and address, section 119.01 makes open county and municipal records the policy of the state, and under section 119.07 only the parts covered by a valid exemption are redacted. The City of Sarasota, for one, tells portal users that “By signing in your contact information and the report or request are considered public records and subject to disclosure under the Florida Public Records Act.” The rights page covers what that means for complainants.
Sources
- Section 119.01, Florida Statutes: General state policy on public records (The Florida Senate)
- Section 119.07, Florida Statutes: Inspection and copying of records; photographing public records; fees; exemptions (The Florida Senate)
- Section 162.03, Florida Statutes: Applicability (The Florida Senate)
- Section 162.06, Florida Statutes: Enforcement procedure (The Florida Senate)
- Section 162.07, Florida Statutes: Conduct of hearing (The Florida Senate)
- Section 162.21, Florida Statutes: Enforcement of county or municipal codes or ordinances; penalties (The Florida Senate)
- Records, county procedures for providing copies, informal opinion, December 15, 2003 (Florida Office of the Attorney General)
- Report A Code Violation (City of Gainesville)
- Code Compliance (City of Sarasota)
- Code Enforcement Hearings – Special Magistrate (City of Casselberry)
- Special Magistrate: Code Enforcement Hearings (City of Hialeah)
All sources retrieved October 26, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Local procedures and fees change, so confirm details with your city or county.
About SNITCH
By Chaz Stevens, investigative journalist and founder of JoeSnitch.
SNITCH is a Florida administrative filing service operated by The Z Production Group, Inc. We prepare code-enforcement complaints and file them with Florida city and county agencies under our own name as the complainant of record, so your name and contact information are not on the complaint we submit. That reduces your exposure but does not erase it, and we do not decide what an agency does with a complaint. SNITCH is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Questions: go@joesnitch.com.
